Notice of Resignation
by ducky72
Summary: Abby hands in her notice of resignation. Secretly, at night...
1. Notice of Resignation

_**Disclaimer: **Still don´t own them … but whom do I tell???_

_**Rating:** T (although, maybe it is not)_

_**A/N:** No oneshot, but would be a short one. Please read ... and please let me know what you think about it._

* * *

**-x-**

**Notice Of Resignation**

It was late in the evening when she dialed his extension number for the umpteenth time within the last two hours. She wanted to be absolutely sure that he hadn´t come back.

He had left about two hours ago. She knew, because he had come down to her lab to get the latest results, or, to be precise, to have instead been told once again that the results he impatiently was waiting for would only be available the next morning. And to be even more precise, these would be the last results he would get from her. Ever. But _that_ she hadn´t told him -- of course!

She wasn´t able to go on like that anymore. She just couldn´t stand this any longer.

In the morning he would find what he had asked for at his desk, together with an application for leave -- she would take all her remaining holiday as from the very next day on -- and her notice of resignation. So much for that.

But well planned things almost always turn out differently, that much is certain. And of course they did this time as well. And, looking back at that night´s events, things were much better now than before. They had turned out in a really satisfying sort of way.

But, first things first.

So, before leaving, she dialed his number again -- just to make sure one last time -- and with trembling hands she took the notice of resignation, the application for leave and the results, which in fact had not been ready when he had left, but the test had not taken her the whole night either of course.

She walked out of her lab and turned to look back one last time before switching off the lights, swallowing hard as she did so, to fight down the growing lump that had formed in her throat and persistently threatened to suffocate her.

She took the elevator up to the squad-room. With the back of her free hand she wiped away the tears that were silently running down her cheeks.

The squad-room was almost dark, only the dim emergency lights that never went out, sparsely lit the room. It was sufficient, though, for her to walk over to his desk, she would even have been able to approach it in complete darkness.

After standing in front of his desk for endless minutes -- during which she remembered all those moments that she had been standing here, being looked at by him, every single one of those moments had engraved itself in her memory -- she put the sheets of paper down and whispered:

"Bye, Gibbs."

_To be continued..._


	2. Why?

_Thanks for the reviews, I love them ..._

_here´s the next chapter ... one more to come ... enjoy!_

* * *

**2.Why?**

She could have known. Strictly speaking, Abby out of them all _should_ have known!

They had become friends almost immediately. After all these years she had become familiar with his thoughts, his feelings, his mood and his plans. She knew him inside out.

Moreover, it was like an unspoken but all too obvious an existing rule: Always be around when someone wants to hide something from you.

Thus, she really _should_ have known.

"Gibbs!" Abby almost screamed as she turned to leave and found herself standing right in front of Gibbs, who stared at her scrutinizingly.

He had approached her in absolute silence and she realized, she must have stood here longer than she had intended to. She wondered for how long he had been standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Abby asked as she slowly recovered from the shock. Behind her back her hands snaked about the sheets of paper at Gibbs´desk in an attempt to pick up the ones that she had just laid down here.

"Thought you might have some results for me, Abs." Gibbs didn´t take his eyes from her as his right hand reached out behind her to take the sheets out of her hands that she had just collected from his desk.

Abby tried to step aside, tried to free herself from between the table and him.

It wasn´t possible as he wouldn´t let her. His left grabbed hold of her right upper arm and held her in place. He threw her a warning look and then flicked through the sheets to read them.

Silence filled the room and every single turning of the sheets sounded like a crack of thunder in Abby´s ears.

On top were the results. Nothing really new. They only confirmed what they already knew.

Next came her application for leave. Her holiday was long overdue this year and therefore it was not really astonishing she handed it in, although – and this was the real astonishing part – she had filled in a request for this years´ remaining holiday, almost the complete one, minus... .

Another rustling of paper cut through the silence. Last came the sheet of paper saying she, Abigail Sciuto would with this hand in her resignation for personal reasons... .

Abby´s heart was pounding heavily as she watched Gibbs read.

When he finally lifted his head to look at her, she didn´t dare to look away. Gibbs looked piercingly at her. Then he narrowed his eyes and squinted at her.

"Why?", he wanted to know. It wasn´t even a mere whisper, his voice husky with shock.

Had Gibbs hoped to get an answer? Had Abby ever intended to give him an explanation? The atmosphere became palpable as the tension increased.

Abby didn´t dare to breathe, didn´t move, didn´t say anything. She pondered the possibility to tell him everything right away. _Now – or never ever again_, she thought. _It wouldn´t make a difference. I won´t stay – can´t stay, either way! All this joking about and knowing pretty much everything about each other ... and yet ... I simply can´t!_

Gibbs stepped closer. He still held her gaze, but the expression on his face slightly changed. He blinked once before his eyes widened and he searched her face for an answer.

And when he finally spoke again, there was something else noticeable in his voice. Worry? Disappointment? Abby couldn´t quite identify it. It definitely wasn´t anger, although she was sure it was supposed to sound angry.

"Spit it, Abs!"

Abby tried again. The more she had gotten familiar with his nature, the more complicated it had become to keep her own feelings a secret. Never had she been able to tell him what she really thought. No, she never wanted to risk their friendship. It was just a tiny distance now and it would ease her conscience tremendously. And his? He would never be able to forgive her. All those years she had lied to him. No, he better never knew. Never!

Abby inhaled deeply. "I can´t. Sorry, Gibbs." She leaned forward and pecked him on his cheek. Taking advantage of his brief astonishment, she headed towards the elevator without looking back.

_To be continued..._


	3. That True?

_Thanks again for your lovely reviews. Now, this is the last part of this story, maybe you expected it to end this way? __Okay, the way there might be a bit intense, but I would like to hear from you -- whether you liked this story (or not), for example. _

_Thanks._

* * *

**3. That True?**

Gibbs stood and watched as Abby stepped into the elevator. As if paralyzed he just stared after her. The door of the elevator slid shut. It was only then that he became aware of the fact that something was incredibly wrong here.

Realizing how serious this was to Abby, realizing how serious this whole situation was, he started running. He couldn´t let her go. He_ mustn´t_ let her go!

Abby watched as the door of the elevator slid shut and she wasn´t sure whether to sigh with relief or cry with unhappiness, when suddenly... .

A hand appeared in the gap that yet was left before the sliding door completely seperated Abby from the squad-room. The door slid open again and Gibbs entered the lift. One step only. And now the door slid shut again, brushing his back.

Abby stood at the opposite wall, hands behind her back, holding on to the handrail tightly. She briefly wondered if she should have taken the stairs instead. The distance between the both of them wouldn´t be that small now. Although, that wouldn´t matter anyhow! He would have caught up with her nevertheless.

Abby glanced at him when he joined her, but then she immediately lowered her head. She knew what was about to come. He would demand an answer. She couldn´t flee anymore. And only seconds after the elevator had started to move, Gibbs switched the emergency-stop.

The elevator abruptly came to a halt and the inside went almost dark, only the emergency light weakly lit the cubicle.

He approached her. Smoothly, calmly and rather slowly. He stopped right in front of her, keeping a small distance between them, just enough to not make her panic. As he spoke, his voice was soft but sounded somewhat desperate as well.

"Abby, give me a reason for this." He held up the sheets of paper, her notice of resignation still on top.

Abby shook her head no.

"Are you mad at me?" Gibbs firmly wanted to know.

Again, Abby shook her head no.

"Abs, don´t make me angry! You _do_ have a reason for this! Or do _I_ need to give you one first?" His tone had become more powerful, more warning with each word and he had stepped forward.

"Look at me, Abby!", he demanded harshly. He wanted to force her to an answer. He could make things worse. But _could_ things actually be worse than they already were? He was about to loose her, so it wouldn´t make any difference in the end.

Abby lifted her head, found his left grab her chin, his thumb tugging at her jaw to force her lips apart only a split second before he launched himself at her, his tongue taking possession of her mouth. It actually matched an act of violence.

It was what she didn´t do that made him wonder. Abby didn´t push him back.

And it was what she did, that made him pull back. Abby let him, without actually joining the "kiss". In addition to that she closed her eyes and he felt her body, that was trapped between him and the back wall of the elevator, relax against his.

Gibbs knew he wasn´t good when it came to a woman´s emotions, but this was all too obvious. Shocked about what he had only just learned he dropped the sheets of paper that he was still holding in his right.

"That true?" he asked.

He couldn´t believe it. How could he not have seen?

Eyes downcast, Abby tried to avoid his gaze and with this at the same time admitted what had only been a suspicion so far.

"How? When? Abby, you were not supposed to hide this from me!"

"And you were not supposed to steal my reason," Abby said despairingly.

"Did I?" Gibbs wanted her to confirm.

"Gibbs, I couldn´t stand this any longer. And now you´ve made it even worse!" Abby was fighting back the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes.

"Abs, why didn´t you tell me?" Gibbs asked lowly, yet demanding an explanation.

"Tell you what? _Hey Gibbs, I´m in love with you, just wanted to let you know_ – or what? Gibbs, you were my boss! You were a friend! I didn´t dare to ruin this!"

"And now, Abs? What were you about to do? Leave a note and run away!? What´s that, Abs? That´s not what friends do! You could have trusted me..." Gibbs suddenly fell silent as an expression of guilt washed over his face.

Hell, what was he about to do? He needed her, needed her so badly. Abby had made him live again. He wanted her to be close, he used to go down to her lab whenever he didn´t feel well. When Abby was around, he almost always was able to cast a smile. Okay, she was really hyperactive, but he lived on her energetic nature. She used to challenged him by talking about most intimate habits and he usually interrupted her by saying something like "_Too much info, Abs_," because he feared to loose control over the feelings that he tried to hide from her with such effort. He was afraid of scaring her off, had in no way expected her to have the same kind of feelings for him as he had for her. And _he_ was accusing _her_ of not being honest?

"... and me ..., _I_ should have trusted _you_," he eventually continued very lowly, making Abby look up and into his eyes. She knew him inside and out, yes. But what she now saw – he really had been able to hide _this_ from her as well as she had been able to hide it from him.

"Gibbs, you... !?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I do, Abs. I was afraid of loosing you as well. As a friend ... and as the best lab-tech I ever had!" And with this confession he closed the distance between their lips again and this time kissed her ever so gently, ever so tenderly. And Abby happily responded.

When they finally broke this slow and sweet kiss, and Gibbs looked into Abby´s mist eyes again, she asked: "What now?"

And Gibbs smiled at her, saying, "First of all...," and he bent down to pick up her notice of resignation, stood again and, looking her deep in the eyes, he tore it into tiny pieces.

"And ... now?" Abby wanted to know again.

The shreds of paper fell to the ground as Gibbs got closer again, smirking.

"Abby, don´t tell me you haven´t got any idea of what to do next?!"

**The End**

_**-x-**_

_Yes, this story ends here. Everything else is left to your _innocent_ imagination._

_And don´t tell me, you haven´t got any idea!_

_;-)_


End file.
